That kind of love was a once in a lifetime
by toolostforyou
Summary: The first year of Mac and Will being parents


Mackenzie never complained once through her pregnancy and labour. She bit her tongue when she had to run out of meetings to be sick, she done what she was told when she almost passed out from not drinking enough or getting enough sleep during election coverage. While in labour she never once threatened Will nor complained about the pain. It had taken them months for them talking about starting a family to the stick turning blue.

James William Mcavoy was brought home one morning in late January, Mackenzie had three months of work while Will had managed to talk his way into three weeks. They both questioned how James never fussed over anything and rarely made a noise unless it was for food or to get changed. But part of that might have been due to the fact he was rarely put down for longer than ten minutes less he was sleeping.

Will and Mackenzie took to being parents rather easy, they agreed on organisation and Will was more than happy to wake up in the middle of the night with them both.

Mackenzie was laid on the couch, her head on Will's lap and James fast asleep on her chest, his little fingers clutching the top she was wearing. They were sat watching the news, every so often one of them wincing when Elliot or Sloan made the tinniest mistake, but they both trusted the staff to pull off the show without them for a few weeks. Although Mac was only half watching, her hands kept rubbing small circles across James' back, she watched every breath he took. She was the most over protective mother.

"I'm going in the shower." Will told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead and then on James'.

"It's just you and me big guy. You better get used to it, Daddy's going back to work in two weeks times and then it's just you and me against the world. Don't tell him but I think we can cope perfectly fine without him."

Will found both of them asleep on the couch when he came out of the shower, he wasn't oblivious to Mackenzie waking up every hour to check on James and then sometimes she would stay awake for a while and point out every building they could see from their floor. He carefully took James from her chest and put him to sleep before slowly waking Mackenzie up.

Will wouldn't admit to her that he had been apprehensive about leaving for his first day back to work. He was aware that she could cope without him, she had everything planned and James settled into a routine, but it was more that he had actually enjoyed having time off. He had a show to get on the air and at the same time, he missed getting behind the desk but it would be weird not having Mackenzie in his ear telling him to pull himself together or which direction to take.

When he came back home, dinner was cooked and James was in the bassinette in the kitchen.

"The food is terrible." Not that she needed to tell him, her cooking had never been up to par. "I think the pasta is burnt because James was crying to be changed just before it was finished, but I thought a few extra minutes won't hurt, and the sauce doesn't taste right. I won't be offended if you don't eat it. I just ended up making a sandwich."

Her half eaten sandwich was on the breakfast bar, he looked at the meal she cooked, it didn't even smell right.

"I think I'll pass, next time leave the cooking to me." He quickly kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I love you. What did you get up to today?"

"We went to the park today and walked around for a while, I had a coffee and James got fussed over by older women. But you had a good show tonight, we watched it between cooking during the breaks."

"Nothing's changed around there but Elliot and Sloan looked pleased over going back to ten and economics. Your office is still there and waiting for you." Will ran his hand through her hair, a small smile forming as he thought at how Mac's maternal instincts had still kicked in but she was less than domestic when it came to cooking and cleaning. As his eyes scanned over the apartment, a lot of things had been left where they were last used. Newspapers and magazines spread across the coffee table in front of the television, James' blanket left on the couch where they had obviously spent some time. "Neal tried pitching a Big Foot story again."

"No, nothing had changed."

"I don't like any of them."

They had spent weeks interviewing nanny's for when Mackenzie went back to work, every single one of them Mackenzie found a reason to shoot them down. She was due back to work in 5 days and they had talked to around fifty people.

"None of them are going to be perfect or do everything the way you want them to but it's finding which one you're more comfortable with."

"I'm not comfortable with anyone."

"If only you were this fussy when it came to picking interns." For that, he got a glare. The last one she hired had been fired within four weeks. Even with excellent references, he had fucked up one too many times and Mackenzie had fired him without hesitation.

"What about him?"

"He made fun of my accent."

"You laughed along with him."

"I was being polite." She took the resume out of Will's hands and threw it in the bin with the rest of the discarded names. They were left with ten names; each of them had qualifications and past experiences. "She lives the closest, it might come useful if we get called into work last minute."

"He has a degree."

In truth, it had always been between these two; Jake and Susan, both had been charming and interacted with James when they were being interviewed.

"She has ten years more experience." Mackenzie was going to get her way, she was the only one that she felt could trust and wouldn't constantly be worrying while at work.

"We'll ring her in the morning."

"Thank you."

Mackenzie was restless on the morning that she was going back to. She was desperate to get back and was ready an hour earlier than she needed to be. However, she kept hovering around James, at three months old his personality was starting to shine through, when there was something to do, he was determined to do it. Such as his sudden fascination of attempting to get his socks off as soon as one of them put them back on.

"He's going to be fine. I told everyone in the office not to let you ring more than once every two hours."

She didn't expect to be this protective but at the same time, he had been her main focus for the last few months. She had carried him in her for 9 months and then she had spent most of her time with him other than the few times she had met Sloan for cocktails but Will had been looking after him.

"I'm starting to think you don't love me anymore." Now that caused her to smile and roll her eyes.

"Well he is our son, but it's a different kind of love."

"I know, I would do anything for him."

"You would do anything for me." He had proved that on more than one occasion that he would do anything for her, even when he was constantly trying to hurt her back, there were still times when he stood up for her.

Her attention switched from Will to James when she heard a babble coming from his crib. He was starting to get more vocal, trying to lift his head up, roll over and making noises.

"Yes, Mummy and Daddy leaving soon but we'll back before you know it."

She spent the next time minutes walking around the apartment with him until Susan turned up and they left for walk. She spent most of the journey there close to tears.

"I felt the same way, once you get to work the next few hours will fly over."

By the time James was six months they had settled into a steady routine. They would spend breakfast together, play for an hour and then they would go to work, at lunch they would meet Susan and James for something to eat and when they came home, their routine depended on whether James was awake or not.

It was Saturday night and Mackenzie was in bed with James, he was on her lap and Mackenzie was reading a book to him. He hands kept touching the paper; random syllables that made no sense got shouted at her as she told the story. Will was playing with his guitar on the edge of the bed, which every so often would distract James from whatever Mackenzie was saying and he would reach out towards his father.

"Okay, you're not interested in Robin Hood, that's fine."

She was getting no where as Will started to play the higher notes, she put the book on the bedside table and like her son, turned her focus to Will. He had finally proposed to her on their anniversary of getting back together but the had never talked about setting a date for the wedding.

"Maybe we should make the guitar an actually thing with James, like play it over the weekend, he seems fascinated with it."

"Maybe he won't be as tone deaf as you are when it comes to singing."

"Shut up, we're not all born talented."

Will started to play and sing an acoustic version of some rock song he used to play constantly the first time they were together. James seemed fascinated, attempting to sing along in his own way before he slowly fell asleep on top of Mackenzie.

His one year birthday was celebrated on the park, although it was still freezing cold, he was wrapped up in a scarf and thick coat, running around amongst the bare tress. The newfound freedom of walking meant they spent more time running around after James than spending time together. Even when he lost his footing and ended up on the floor, he didn't make a noise, just picked himself up and carried on again.

"One year ago today."

"You nearly broke my hand in the delivery room, also it was amusing when your waters broke in front of Don, his face was a picture."

"It's not my fault you wanted to show off your very pregnant girlfriend, it was like going back to the ice age. Me man, me impregnate woman, look what I can do."

"Mummy! Daddy!"

"See he likes me more, he called for me first." It was much like when it came to James starting to talk, a personal competition between the two of them to get him to speak. Which they both lost when 'ball' came first.

"That has never been debatable Mackenzie."


End file.
